Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-14
HEALTH OF THE STATE.
Monthly Circular of the Secretary of the
State Board of Health

Monthly Circular of the Secretary of the
State Board of Health.
Gerard G. Tyrrell, NJ. D., Permanent
Secretary Of the California State Board Of
Health, has just issued his circular for the
month of November. He says:
| Mortality returns received from ninety
towns for the month of November indicate
an increased death rate over the preceding
| month; the number of decedents being
,169 in an estimated population of 754, $50
percentage of 1.54 per thousand in a
month. The increased mortality may be
| attributed to the greater prevalence of pneu-
monia, diphtheria and typhoid fever
rather than any increased severity in the
type of the diseases themselves
Consumption was the cause of 100 deaths
the largest number recorded for many
months.
Pneumonia is credited with causing 112
deaths. nearly twice as many as occurred
in October, and four times the mortality
from this disease in September.
Bronchitis was fatal in sixteen instances,
chiefly occurring among the aged.
Congestion of the lungs is noted as the
exciting cause of death in twenty-five in
stances, an increase of over 100 per cent. in
the mortality from this cause in October.
The increased mortality in these affections
OF the respiratory organs was no doubt
greatly influenced by the meteorological
changes to which We were subject, especi-
ally the lowered temperature during the
latter part of the month.
Diarrhea and dysentery caused twenty
nine deaths, which is az increase over last
report.
The mortality from cholera infantum
decreased from fifty-one deaths last month
TO twenty-three this month.
Diphtheria shows much increased NOR
tally, fortysix deaths being recorded from
it; of these fourteen occurred in San Fran
cisco, eight in Pine Creek, Tebama county,
seven in Suisun, five in Sacramento, two
in Anaheim, two in Sonora, and one each
in Oakland, Eureka, Cotton, Pomona, San
Jose, Santa Ana, Watsonville aud Will
Jams.
Group shows relatively quite as large 4
mortality, the deaths from this cause num-
bering thirty-two; nearly all occurred
where diphtheria was prevailing.
Whooping- cough caused only two deaths
Scarlet fever had two decedents.
Measles caused four deaths.
Smallpox caused four deaths in San
Francisco.
Typhoid fever shows a marked increase
in mortality, fifty-six deaths being recorded
from this disease during the month San
Francisco reports fifteen, Los Angeles
seven, San Jose five, Pomona three, San
Diego, San Pedro, Pasadena, Bakersfield,
Etna Mills and Nevada City two each, Ala
media, Anaheim, Calico, Elsinore, Fort Bid
well, Gonzales, Santa Ana, Santa Clara,
Santa Rosa Sierra City, Stockton and Val
lejo one each, showing the disease to be
prevalent over large extent of territory.
Eight deaths are attributed to remittent
fever, which is a slight increase over for
mer report.
Cerebro- spinal fever caused nine Deaths
of which three are reported from Sacra-
mento. and one each from Elsinore Lin
coin, Monterey, Oakland, Ukiah and Wat
sonville.
Reports of sickness received from one
hundred localities throughout the State de-
cidedly indicate an abnormal amount of
sickness; especially in diseases affecting
the respiratory and alimentary tracts. There
is no doubt that the contamination of the
soil by waste matter deposited in the vicin-
ity of dwellings where there is no sewerage
is prolific cause of typhoid fever. This
waste, being chiefly fluid, sinks into the
soil, and, with the continued lowering of
the water, slowly percolates through the
parched earth, until finally it reaches the
well water and loads it with tasteless, odor-
less and, by sight, undiscoverable poison.
Smallpox is becoming quite prevalent in
San Francisco, no less than thirty-three
cases being reported in November, and
several have occurred since. Two cases
were reported by DR.. Downing, 16 miles
from Suisun; one case reported in Oakland
and one case in Elmira. This gradual
spread of the disease is giving US timely
warning to get ready to meet the DESTROYER,
by constant attention to vaccination. When
all are vaccinated the enemy is defeated, as
it will have no food upon which to subsist.
We cannot too earnestly insist upon vac
cinalion at once. Do not wait for small
pox to develop, as you may contract the
disease when vaccination will be too late to
arrest it. Therefore we say, yaccinate now
and vaccinate thoroughly.
Typhoid fever is found in nearly every
town in the State. This must be expected
from the continued absence of rain during
the month. Typhoid being now generally
recognized as due to a specific infection
which finds its indus in conditions brought
about by failure to deal properly with the
solid and liquid refuse of population, it is
not surprising that we should find the dis
ease prevailing in all those towns where
sewerage is deficient or entirely absent. We
find that in San Diego its frequency is well
marked. DIR. Huntington, an experienced
military surgeon in charge of the garrison
there, says the cases occurring among the
troops were contracted outside the barracks
by visiting insanitary spots in the city, and
thinks that the deficient sewerage of the
place, with the overcrowding which the
increased immigration has necessitated,
has disseminated the fever quite extern
siYely.